


A Rustic Sojourn

by mistybones



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Aged-Up Killua Zoldyck, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Constructive Criticism Welcome, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, My First Fanfic, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:33:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28490958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistybones/pseuds/mistybones
Summary: On a walk through the woods on your ranch, you find a grievously injured stranger bleeding out in the creek. You bring him to your house and nurse him back to health. Who is this mysterious man, and how did he get that injury? Lots of Killua x Reader fluff.I’m not really sure what else to put in the description. This is my first published fanfiction, so (constructive) criticism is very welcome!Hunter x Hunter and the characters mentioned in the story belong to the wonderful Yoshihiro Togashi.
Relationships: Killua Zoldyck/Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter 1

Golden rays of sunlight dappled the mossy undergrowth of the forest. The forest was filled with the sounds of animals rustling around, lively bird calls, the creek’s playful burbling, and a light breeze blowing through leaves. The fragrance of spring filled the air, the delicate aroma of budding flowers paired with the musky scent of wet wood and dirt. You walked through the woods, black rain boots stepping quietly and deliberately down the familiar path to the creek. The rushing of the creek grew louder as you reached it, cuing you to set down your basket and prepare to pick some berries growing by the creek bed.

As you set the basket down, you noticed a red splatter in a sandy patch near the creek. Upon closer inspection, you determined it was most likely blood. Thinking an animal had been injured, you searched for similar drops of blood to lead you to the animal. After all, it wasn’t unusual for a chicken to go missing once in a while. You suspected wolves, although they had never ventured close enough for you to see them.

You continued down the creek, following the irregular trail of blood, before noticing a tall, white haired figure slowly walking down the creek, grasping their abdomen through a bloody shirt. Panicking, you froze, before rushing forward to catch them. Reaching around the figure, he looked at you dazed, before collapsing onto you. Well, crap. He certainly wasn’t light, and you struggled to arrange him so you could carry (well, drag) him back up to your house.

After trudging back up the creek and the path, you finally made it back up to the flat, grassy clearing of your cottage. You continued forward, into your home and bedroom, lifting the strange man onto your bed. You bolted to the bathroom, opening the cabinet under the sink and pulling out the health kit. Returning to the room, your hands shook as you examined the bloody mess on his chest. He was wearing a button-up shirt, albeit ripped and bloody, so you carefully unbuttoned the shirt and peeled it from his chest, gagging slightly as blood gushed out of the wound. Lifting him up lightly, you finished removing the shirt and focused back on the wound, taking a rag to try to clean the mess. With most of the blood cleared away, the wound itself did not seem too bad, it was quite large, but not very deep; he had likely collapsed from blood loss, as he was incredibly pale. After sanitizing the wound, you wrapped it tightly, keeping pressure on the wound.

With that out of the way, all of the nitty gritty details popped up. First of all, you just brought a strange man covered in blood, sweat, and mud into your house, and now he's on your bed. His shirt was too ripped to salvage, and his pants were damp and covered in mud from the creek and then being dragged. Sighing, you left the room to pick up a pair of your late father’s sweatpants. You brought them back, before removing his boots and carefully removing his pants. You blushed heavily, the reality of the situation hitting you like a frying pan to the face. He wasn’t bad looking by any metric—he was well built, and his face was actually quite handsome. Somehow, that just made this all much worse. You didn’t have any spare men’s underwear, so despite his being blood stained and sweaty, you kept them on, to your relief. You used a soapy towel to wash his legs before drying them and sliding on the sweatpants. They were a bit small on him, but you had no other alternatives. You then used another soapy towel to wash his face, and brushed his hair, unable to wash it without bringing him to the bathroom.

With that done, you went to the kitchen and filled a glass with water to put on the nightstand, in case he woke up while you were out. With that, you left and went about the ranch, finishing your chores. After finishing your dinner, you went back to your room and read in the bay window, glancing over at the man once in a while. At around 10:00, you grabbed a blanket from the closet and curled up on the bay window to sleep, slightly cramped.

In the morning, you woke up with the sun streaming through the window you slept under. You glanced at the clock on your bedside table—6:15, right on time. As you looked up from the clock, your eyes caught on the strange man in your bed. He was still deeply asleep, chest rising and falling evenly, in the same position you had left him. You quickly got up, groaning slightly as your back cracked from your awkward sleeping position. After doing some light stretches, you got dressed, adorning yourself in a brown, long-sleeved turtleneck shirt tucked into a mid-calf length matching skirt with stockings, before pulling on a pocketed white apron.

After making your way down to the kitchen, you fixed up a plate of fresh eggs cooked to your preference, a protein rich breakfast to keep you energized throughout your busy day. With that, you grabbed a large container of old, refrigerated rice and a basket, before slipping on your work boots and making your way down the familiar path to the chicken coop. You opened the latch and slipped through the gate, as a wave of chickens surged towards you, running as fast as their legs could carry their plump little bodies. You dug out chunks of the rice, scattering them into the crowd, slowly wading through the sea of chickens towards the coop. Entering the coop, you went nest to nest, gently lifting up the hens to grab their eggs.

After collecting all of the eggs, and dodging most pecks, you dropped off the eggs in the outdoor kitchen area before walking back past the chicken enclosure to the goat gate, preparing to milk them. You had a full day ahead, but the fresh, fragrant mountain air and rising sun made it all worthwhile. Beyond your small ranch, the woods swayed gently in the spring breeze, draped in lichen and moss. You were content. 

— — — — —

Killua’s POV

I blinked awake, light flooding my vision. Groaning lightly, I brought my hand to my face, body aching and sore. Shifting slightly to get up, a sharp twinge of pain shot through my abdomen. Looking down, my blurry vision focused on what appeared to be bloodied bandages wrapped around my chest. My head pounded, forcing me to lay my head back.

I looked around at where I was. I was laying in an unfamiliar bed, but certainly a quite comfortable one. I seemed to be in a small bedroom, rather plain, the only distinguishing characteristic being shelves of books lining the walls and piled up on the floor. The bed was pushed up against the wall, right below a small, curtain lined window. Natural light illuminated the room, making me estimate the time to be around one in the afternoon.

The door in the opposite corner of the room clicked and swung open slowly, a figure emerging from behind it. My eyes slowly focused on it, realizing it was a young woman clad in brown looking right at me. She squeaked in surprise, rushing forward to me. I tensed up as she started to speak.

“Oh my goodness, you’re awake! Hello! Um, would you like some water? I bet you’re pretty thirsty,” she blurted out quickly. I nodded lightly, and she started pouring water from a pitcher on the bedside to my left.

“Where am I? Who are you?” I croaked out, my throat parched.

“OH! Sorry, I’m y/n, you’re in my house right now. I found you by the creek, and you collapsed right as I got to you, so I carried you back here and tried to bandage you up,” she said, raising the cup to my lips, one hand supporting the back of my head as the other slowly poured the liquid into my mouth. “You’ve been out for about a day and a half now, likely from blood loss. The wound was wide and bloody, but not that deep or severe. But, now that you’re awake, do you mind telling me what the heck happened? I can’t imagine it just happened from being in the forest, and no animals would leave a wound like that. Also, what is your name?” She inquired as I finished the water, wiping off a droplet that escaped.

“Killua,” I responded, voice still weak. “I shouldn’t get into what happened, but thanks for your assistance.”

“Oh, well, I don’t want to pry. Ah! You’ve gotta be starving by now, stay here and rest and I’ll come back with some warm soup. After that, I’ll change your bandages, okay? Now rest up,” She said, gently putting my head back and patting my cheek.

I closed my eyes, and some time later a delicious scent wafted into the room, my mouth watering in anticipation. Y/n came in a few minutes later, bowl of soup in tow. She set it on the nightstand, before dragging over a chair and sitting down.

“Open wide,” she instructed, putting the soup on the edge of the bed and carefully bringing the spoon to my lips. I complied, feeling the warmth and flavor of the soup spread across my tongue.

“That’s really good,” I told her as she got another spoonful of the soup ready. She thanked me, bringing the spoon back to my mouth. She was intently focused on this task, sparing no effort for conversation. That was fine by me; I couldn’t very well speak while eating. Instead, I focused on the person before me. She wasn’t bad to look at, soft h/c hair framing her face. Her e/c eyes shined with friendliness and warmth, and her lips lay in a soft smile, radiating tenderness.

She made eye contact with me as I made this assessment, blushing lightly and smiling more. She continued to feed me, much to my appreciation. After finishing the soup, she put the bowl back on the nightstand, before reaching below the bed to pick up a small box, which she opened to reveal bandages.

“This will likely hurt, do you want a tranquilizer along with your painkiller?”

“Yes please,” I winced, after trying—and failing—to get up.

She carefully put two pills in my mouth before pouring in some water, and I swallowed them eagerly. She then filled up an oral medicine dispenser with a deep purple liquid, which she poured into my mouth. I swallowed it quickly, coughing at the rancid taste.

“Water,” I croaked, and she quickly gave me some water while apologizing. She assured me that it would only be a few minutes before I would be unconscious. I hoped this was true—my resistance to poisons included tranquilizers, but hopefully the combination of tranquilizer and painkiller, along with injury-related exhaustion would at least make me delirious enough to not feel as much pain. Of course, I could just grit my teeth and bear the pain, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my 21 years of living, it’s that there is no point to being in unnecessary pain.

Indeed, my hopes came true, as within a few minutes I was in a delirious state of disconnection from my body. While still conscious, I was severely out of it. Y/n started unwrapping the old bandages, tensing as the wound was revealed. She hovered over it, examining it for infection, and once she determined there wasn’t one, she used a clean rag to clean up the wound and administer an antibiotic cream. Once she was satisfied with the results, she rebandaged the area with clean bandages. I heard her mutter under her breath something about how fast it had healed. I smirked slightly, knowing my abnormally fast healing ability was working its magic. I slowly drifted back to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Killua's POV

The loud rumble of my stomach brought me to consciousness. I felt much better than I did yesterday—slowly, I tried to sit up, finding that I was able to execute the move relatively painlessly. My bandages, too, were significantly less bloody. After sitting upright, I looked around the room, noticing a small tray on the bedside table with a hardboiled egg, a bowl of miso soup, and an apricot, along with a folded note. Lifting the tray onto my lap, I unfolded the note.

_Hey there!_

_Sorry about breakfast, it’s probably all cold now—I didn’t know when you would wake up, and I didn’t want to disturb you, so I just left it here. Hopefully it hasn’t been too long, I made this around 6:30. Anyways, I’m probably out on the ranch if you need anything. Take it easy, I’ll be back around noon to make lunch._

_\- Y/n_

I glanced at the clock, which said that it was currently 9:00 in the morning. It hadn’t been too long since y/n left the food, so I helped myself. Despite being cold, it was still quite delicious and a good meal to get back into the flow of eating after being in a semi-fasting state. I drank some water from the pitcher left on the nightstand and sat still. No could do—I was far too antsy to sit still and wait for three hours waiting for y/n to return. 

With that, I slowly rotated my legs off the bed, and cautiously stood. I noticed I was wearing unfamiliar sweatpants, slightly too small, and no shirt. I doubted she would have anything in her room that fit, but perhaps she would have a shirt from wherever she got these sweatpants. I hesitantly stepped forward, and upon success, I continued towards the door. I stepped into the hallway, noticing a bathroom right across from the bedroom door. The motion of standing up and walking reminded me of nature’s urges, and I hurried forward to relieve myself.

After washing my hands and drying them on an embroidered hand towel, I continued down the hallway, noticing first a dining room with large windows lining two walls to my right. In the middle of the room was a slightly large table, covered with a layer of dust. To my right and slightly further down I spotted a reasonably sized kitchen, with an island in the middle. There was a large window above the sink, illuminating the room. Straight ahead, right next to the kitchen, was a very small living room, with nothing but a small couch and TV. The main feature of the room was the large glass door leading outside, next to which I spotted my boots, cleaned and dried. I slipped them on and slid open the door, stepping outside.

The fresh spring air hit me like a line of cocaine—the clarity, sweet fragrance, and warmth instantly invigorated me as I inhaled deeply. The environment was truly stunning—the garden was overflowing with growth and blooming flowers. A small stone path, lined by ferns, led from the front door to join a wider dirt path some distance away. To my right was a wide lawn, a small wooden structure at the other end. The forest acted as a fence, a stark contrast with the light lawn and garden. The woods were tall and imposing, but the gentle breeze rustling the leaves and lichen softened their impression. The light filtered weakly through the canopy of leaves, keeping the forest shady and cool.

I walked down the stony path onto the dirt road, following it leftwards. On my left, beyond the house, was a large vegetable garden with a greenhouse. I couldn’t see anyone there, so I continued down the dusty path.

The sound of clucking grew louder as I reached a large enclosure of chickens, which all rushed towards the gate as soon as I approached. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see any humans among the chickens, so I continued on my way.

Further down the road, I heard the bleats of goats. I approached the wood and wire fence of the goat enclosure, a few goats trotting over and bleating, pressing their faces through the fence. Y/n must have noticed their departure, as I saw her emerge from a structure.

“Good morning!” She beamed, rushing over to the fence. “Do you want to come in and meet these darlings? They’re quite sweet, and we have some young ones” she offered, petting the goats next to her as they nudged against her.

“They do seem quite friendly,” I chuckled, gesturing towards a baby goat nibbling on her boots.

“Oh! Yes, you must come in,” she said, pressing herself to the gate and opening it slightly. “You’ll have to squeeze in, or they’ll try to run out.”

I pressed past her, and she quickly latched the door behind me. I was quickly swarmed by goats, sniffing me up and butting against me.

“It’s a good thing you’re tall, we don’t want the goats nibbling on those bandages,” she laughed as the goats started chewing on the sweatpants’ drawstrings. “Well, don’t be shy, go ahead and touch them. They seem to like you!”

She picked up one of the baby goats, cradling it in her arms and bringing it over to me. I was cautiously patting one of the goats chewing on the drawstrings as another baby goat nibbled on the pants.

“Here, go ahead and pet this little guy! Want to feel something cool?” She asked, a rather mischievous glint in her eyes. I accepted her offer, but not before side eyeing her, suspicious of her intentions.

“Put your finger in his mouth. Don’t worry, he doesn’t have teeth yet.”

I heeded her instructions, and without missing a beat the kid tried to eat my finger, coating it in slimy saliva and sucking. I shot back in shock, leaving the goat bleating. Warily, I put my finger back, and this time, did not withdraw it. It was quite an odd experience, to say the least. Y/n laughed, and I realized I must have been making a weird expression. Her laugh was so bright and pure, I couldn’t help but join in.

“Here, come with me so we can finish milking the goats before we go back. You probably want a shirt, right?”

“Yeah, a shirt would be nice. As well as some socks, if you have them. But...where are these pants even from? Are you alone here? I haven’t seen anyone else around here,” I asked. Her smile faded, eyes darkening as she stood silent. I was about to apologize when she finally spoke. 

“Yes. This is...was...my family’s ranch. Let’s go on a walk.”

She turned bruskly, setting down the baby goat and walking stiffly back towards the gate. I followed her, pushing through the goats at her faster pace.

“About a year and a half ago, a freak accident started a fire up at the main house. At the time, I was staying in the side house, the one you’ve been staying in. We would rent the yard and house out for weddings, and the house was for the newlyweds' use. I would stay there when we didn’t have visitors, to keep the place up. So when...the fire started...I didn’t notice. It was late at night, but I didn’t notice, I just let it go on.” She paused and stopped walking, gulping as tears rolled down her cheek. I stepped beside her, gently rubbing her back in an attempt to comfort her.

“I only noticed in the morning. Luckily, the main house was far enough away from any trees that it didn’t spark a wildfire, but, by the time I got to the house...everything was gone,” She broke down crying. “I’ve been on my own since then, but I couldn’t stop taking care of the animals. But...it feels like the forest has become my family, as it has kept me company since then. And, it brought me to you. At least I could help you.”

She squatted down as she started shaking, tears flowing unrestrained. I awkwardly knelt down next to her and continued rubbing her back, unsure what to say.

“You’re not alone,” I said. Comforting was never my strong suit, but she had such a kind, open heart that I felt the need to try.

“Thank you,” she sniffled, hugging me and burying her face in my chest. I wrapped my arms securely around her and continued rubbing her back. “That...that was just what I needed to hear.”

We stayed like that for a while. I wasn’t going to rush her as she processed grief.

“I’m sorry,” she sniffed, pulling away and standing up. “I’m glad that’s off my chest. Now, let’s go get your clothes, ‘kay?” She smiled weakly as she brushed away her tears.

“So, now that I’ve practically told my entire life’s story to a stranger, why don’t you tell me more about you? You don’t have to go into any sad stuff, or how you got injured, if you don’t want to,” she asked, walking down the path again.

“I’m from a family of assassins. I’m an ex-assassin.” I admitted cooly, hands behind my head.

“Ehhhhh?!” She wheeled around to look at me. “Is that how you got injured? Are—are you in danger?!” She whisper-yelled at me, peering around the forest suspiciously.

“Tch, no and no—at least not right now. I told you, ex-assassin. I quit being an assassin to become a hunter when I was 12.”

“12?! How old are you now, then?”

“21, you?”

“I’m 19. But—you’re really a hunter? Is that how you got injured?”

“Jeez, would you quit it with the injury already? I’ll get to it when I get to it. It’s embarrassing.”

“Oh. I’m sorry,” she mumbled, looking at her feet.

“Tch, it’s fine. It’s just embarrassing that I got injured in such a way. It doesn’t really matter now, it’s in the past.”

“Alright. Well then, can you tell me about what it’s like to be a hunter? I bet you’ve been on all sorts of adventures!” She asked, her timid façade gone.

I told her all about the hunter exam and everything that happened after it as we picked up the clothes. After a quick lunch, we picked some vegetables from the garden—some lettuce, carrots, mushrooms, and green onions.

We then went on a short hike to a nearby lake, where we fished throughout the afternoon. Gon’s teachings served me well, and I was able to catch some. We threw most of them back as they were too small, keeping two smallmouth bass for dinner. We conversed the entire afternoon, telling each other embarrassing, wholesome, hilarious, and heart-wrenching stories about our lives. Somehow, despite having only met each other the day before, it felt like we had known each other for years, and were just catching up.


	3. Chapter 3

You dropped frozen stock cubes into a pot, along with a bit of sake and mirin, twisting the dial on the stove to low. You then measured, rinsed, and started cooking plenty of rice. Pulling out a thick wooden cutting board, you started slicing the mushrooms, lettuce, and carrots, dicing green onions, and mincing a clove of garlic. As the stock melted and the broth came to a simmer, you dropped in the garlic along with some salt—you didn't have many other spices. 

You then pulled out the meat board and slapped down the fish, before grabbing a small knife and quickly getting to work gutting them, slicing them neatly up the belly and pulling out the internal organs. Killua watched this with an expression of morbid wonder slapped on his face. You picked up one of the fish and held it over the sink by a towel, hitting it with the backside of the knife to remove the scales. Post scaling, you drop the fish back down onto the board and chop off the heads in swift, precise strokes.

"Hey, can you drop these off to the cats? Just put it out right on the patio, they'll love you forever," you said, dropping one of the heads into a bowl along with the guts and handing it to Killua expectantly.

"How can you do this...they're staring at me, it's so creepy," he shuddered, holding the bowl far from his body.

"Oh, get over it. You know, it's kind of hard to believe you were ever an assassin or hunter," you cracked back, pushing the bowl into him and thrusting him towards the door.

As he delivered the cats' dinner, you carefully sliced right above the dorsal fin, carefully separating the meat from the bones. Once you filleted the fish, you carefully cut off the skin before cutting the meat into smaller chunks. You then put the meat into the pot with the broth and put on the lid, raising the heat. Killua returned inside, shuddering one last time before washing his hands and retreating to the counter, where he surveyed the kitchen.

As the fish cooked, you sautéed some green onions, carrots, and mushrooms in butter with some pepper and garlic. As they cooked, you removed the lid from the cooking fish to add in the lettuce, carrots, and mushrooms, along with a splash of soy sauce, and put the lid back on to let them steam. While they cooked, you put the fish bones and the other head into another pot, along with butter and a touch of wine, before scraping the sautéed vegetables in and covering the pot. 

As they cooked, you bustled around the kitchen, preparing tea and pulling down dishes for the food. The rice cooker beeped, and you scooped some into smaller bowls. From there, you brought out two placemats and set the dining room table, dusting it lightly. You then carried over the tea and rice bowls. Finally, the soup was ready, so you served it into bowls and set them on the table, taking a seat with a heavy sigh of relief.

"This smells really good, y/n!" Killua gushed, eating a piece of the fish.

"I'm glad! I don't usually cook this much, I'm glad it turned out alright." It had, indeed, turned out well. It was mild, to be expected with your lack of spices, but it was warm and comforting. You scarfed it down, hungry from working hard all day.

Stomach warm and full, you got up quickly, opening the fridge and pulling out a bowl of fresh strawberries.

"Ready for dessert?" you asked, gesturing to the strawberries. Killua nodded, following you as you slid open the glass doors to sit on the lawn together as the sun set over the forest. The comfortable spring air from earlier had chilled.

"Isn't it beautiful?" You murmured, breaking the silence of the forest as diurnal animals settled down for the night and nocturnal animals stirred from their slumber.

He nodded in agreement, popping another strawberry in his mouth. The sun was just below the horizon, keeping one side of the sky awash in a brilliant red and pink spectacle, while an inky blanket of darkness descended from the east. The dark silhouette of the forest contrasted with the colorful backdrop, creating an even more amazing display. Here and there, you could hear crickets beginning to chirp, serenading the forest with their evening song.

The strawberries were ripe and sweet, flavor bursting across your tongue as you ate them. The bowl was quickly depleted as the two of you gorged on them. When they were finished, you sat in the silence as the night continued to envelop the forest. The stars began to emerge, bright pinpricks of light against the night sky.

You laid back on the ground, letting the grass embrace your body.

"I've lived here my entire life, and yet I've never grown tired of it. This transition. It's like an entirely different world emerges once the sun goes down."

You heard a rustle and turned your head to see Killua lay back as well.

"Have you ever left here?" He asked softly.

"What—what do you mean? Of course I have, I still have to go shopping for a lot of stuff, and I sell any extra things we have."

"No, I mean really travelled. Gone beyond the neighboring towns. Seen the world," he pushed, turning onto his side and gazing at you, intense blue eyes boring deeply into you.

You lay still for a moment. _Had you really not left here?_ The way he said it made it seem so obvious. But, you supposed from living here for so long, this forest and the neighboring towns felt like the entire world to you.

"I guess I was never interested in what's out there. My little corner of the world has enough going on. Even if I did want to go, I'd hardly know where to go or what to do. And besides, who would take care of all my babies?"

He laughed. "Sorry, you just really reminded me of a friend for a moment. But you're really quite different."

"Alrighty then..." you replied, gazing back up at the sky, now almost completely dark, with only the fading sunset and moon illuminating your surroundings. A cool breeze blew past you, making you shiver. "It's getting pretty cold out here, want to head back inside?"

"Sure. It's getting pretty dark anyways, not really much to see."

You stood up from the lawn, brushing off your skirt and picking up the strawberry bowl. Killua's white hair really stuck out in the dark, you found it rather amusing.

After walking back inside and putting away the strawberry bowl, you offered Killua the choice of a book, a card game, or the TV to keep him entertained. He opted to watch TV, so you turned it on and gestured to him to sit on the mini couch. While he watched in the living room, you went back to your bedroom and read in the bay window.

Unfortunately, you accidentally got too sucked into the story, glancing up at the clock after finishing and wincing when it read 11:15. Waking up was going to be unpleasant tomorrow.

You quickly changed into your pajamas, a simple tank top and pair of cotton shorts, before dropping by the living room to let Killua know.

"Hey, Killua, I'm going to go to sleep now. I got a little too sucked in reading, so this is way later than usual, so when you come in can you please be careful not to let much light into the room?"

"Eh, I'll just go to bed now then. There's nothing really good on, anyways."

You headed back to the bedroom and turned out the lights, grabbing your blanket from the closet and curling up in the bay window again.

"What're you doing?" he asked.

"Sleeping, what does it look like?"

"Why are you in the window like that? That can't be comfortable."

"Yeah, well, you're injured so you need to sleep on the bed. The window is more comfortable than the floor."

"Why don't you just sleep with me? It's not like I'm bleeding all over the place anymore."

You blushed heavily, he really didn't monitor his word usage. A second later it hit him, and he apologized.

"I didn't mean it like _that_ , it's just you do strenuous labor all day and I imagine sleeping all cramped like that leaves you sore and uncomfortable in the morning."

"Ah, well, you're a bit right there. But I couldn't possibly impose on you, and it's no bother to me to be a good host and let my guest take the bed."

"It wouldn't be imposing on me, by all means I'm the one imposing on you, all you've done is help me and I've done nothing in return. I insist you sleep comfortably."

You sighed. He clearly wouldn't relent any time soon, and each minute that passed was another minute of sleep stolen away.

"Fine, I accept, but no funny business. Now get in, I'm tired."

He immediately slipped off his shirt, and you spun around, face burning.

"What the hell are you doing! I said no funny business!"

"Jeez, relax. I didn't realize you were so uptight, I was just taking my shirt off. It's not exactly clean and fresh anymore after wearing it all day."

"Oh, sorry," you sheepishly admitted, turning back around to face him. You immediately spun back around. "Where the hell are your pants?! You said you were just taking your shirt off!"

"Well, they weren't exactly clean either."

"Fine," you fumed, before tearing open the covers and gesturing harshly at him to get in, already. 

"Ladies first," he smirked.

"No, I have to get up early in the morning to get started on the ranch. I don't want to wake you up early on accident, sleep is important for healing."

He relented, sliding into the bed and scooching to the side, wiggling his eyebrows and posing like he was about to ask you to draw him like one of your French girls, patting the mattress next to him.

"You're impossible," you scoffed, clambering on and pushing him onto his back before turning on your side and closing your eyes. You found his presence slightly distracting, as you could hear his breathing and fidgeting, and his weight made a dip in the bed that you had to avoid rolling into. However, you were quite exhausted from staying up late, and quickly slipped into a deep slumber.


	4. Chapter 4

You slowly stirred awake, groggy and disoriented. You were so warm and comfortable, and it felt like you just got the deepest sleep of your life. You just wanted to keep your eyes closed and drift back to sleep, but you knew you had to get up to feed the animals. You peeled open your eyes, blinking away the sleep. You glanced at the clock—7:30?! You jolted up slightly, but found that for some reason you couldn’t move. You glanced down to see what was restraining you—a pale, muscular arm wrapped around your waist. You sighed inwardly, regretting yielding to Killua’s insistence the night before. You gently grasped his hand and started to carefully lift it off, but he shifted in his sleep, pulling your body closer into his and nuzzling his face into your neck, hot breath tickling your neck. 

You sighed, cringing at the situation. You couldn’t remove his arm, so you resigned yourself to wiggling under, huffing at how undignified it was. You were about halfway out when he stirred once more, groaning and shifting behind you. You froze, desperately trying to avoid waking him, but to no avail.

“Mm, good morning,” he said, voice slightly husky from disuse overnight. 

“Good morning to you, too. Since you are now awake, as much as I was trying to avoid it, would you mind please removing your arm? It’s really, really late, I need to get up.”

“Mm, but you’re warm and soft and I don’t want you to leave.”

You resorted to force, quickly grabbing his arm and trying to pull it off while scooching yourself out of his grasp. Before you could execute your plan, though, his grip tightened and held you firm, resisting your squirming. 

“Don’t go...just a few more minutes…”

“Killua, the chickens’ breakfast was supposed to be an hour ago, I can’t keep them waiting forever. I’m sure you’ll fall back asleep quickly, I’m sorry for waking you up. Now pleaaaase let me go,” you pleaded, grabbing his hand and trying to pull it off. 

“Tch, fine…” he relented, rolling onto his back. 

You quickly sat up and stepped out of bed, relishing how much better your back and neck felt. The bay window had really done a number on you. You did some light stretches, walking over to your closet and picking out a ¾ sleeved, french blue dress and gray apron. You walked to the bathroom to change, where you also pinned back your hair. 

From there, you followed your regular morning routine, making and eating your breakfast before heading out to feed the chickens and goats. The chickens were fine with the delayed breakfast, but you still felt guilty for letting them go hungry. 

After following your morning routine with the animals, you walked back to the house, curious as to what Killua was doing—he must have been awake at this point. You walked into the house, slipping off your boots and apron. You stepped quietly into the bedroom, but it looked like Killua was, in fact, still asleep. You stepped closer, peering at his restful face. He looked so peaceful, white hair conjuring up the image of an angel. You walked closer, an uncanny urge to touch his hair taking over your body. You reached out your hand and gently ran your fingers through the soft, wild hair.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed your wrist and his eyes shot open. You cried out and shot back, but the grip on your wrist didn’t loosen, so you lost balance, falling backwards but being held up by your wrist. Before you could hit the ground, you were hoisted up. 

“You should’ve SEEN the look on your face,” the white-haired devil cackled, now seated upright on the bed, laughing as you fumed at him. 

“You were awake the whole time, weren’t you,” you muttered, flustered that he knew what you had done. 

“Yeah, I heard you coming a mile away. I couldn’t resist messing with you, you’re so unsuspecting, it’s hilarious,” he snickered. 

“Well...oh, I don’t know!” you huffed, blushing furiously as he poked fun at you. 

“Don’t stop, though, it’s seriously quality entertainment.” 

“Well, when did you wake up? Why didn’t you get up?” you asked, desperate to change the topic. 

“Eh, probably around 9:30. After that I was just poking around the house until I heard you coming.”

“Oh, that wasn’t too long then. Are you hungry? I didn’t leave any breakfast because I figured you could find something in the fridge, but if you haven’t had anything I can fix something up for you.” 

“How could I say no to an offer like that?”

“Don’t go expecting a full three course meal! I’ll make you some eggs and toast if you want.”

You walked back to the kitchen, quickly fixing up some scrambled eggs and toast with strawberry jam. It always satisfied you to cook with all fresh, homemade ingredients—you had baked the bread, churned the butter, and made the jam, and the eggs were fresh. 

Killua walked into the room just as you finished, now fully dressed. He practically inhaled the meal, before standing up and asking you to let him work alongside you on the ranch again. 

The day passed quickly in his company, both because his assistance helped you finish chores faster, but also because he was genuinely fun to be around. He seemed so serious and cold at first glance, but he really had quite a childish streak, joking around and pulling pranks at every opportunity. 

After a busy yet fulfilling day, you fixed up a simple dinner and spent the early evening doing your respective leisure activities. 

Just before sunset, you jumped up and rushed to the living room, slipping on your boots. 

“Hey Killua! I’m going to quickly drop by the creek to pick some berries before the sun sets. I’ll be back in a jiffy!” you shot him a quick smile, sliding the door shut before he even had a chance to respond. 

The cool, fresh air felt amazing. You strolled down to the creek to pick the berries you had been distracted from last time you went down to the creek. Who knew, maybe you’d bump into another injured stranger! Well, hopefully not...as nice as it was having another human around, three people would be a bit much for your tiny room. 

The creek’s playful gurgling overlapped with the sounds of the forest, birds chirping, insects buzzing, and leaves rustling. You finally reached the muddy bank, spotting the berry bushes a little further down on the other side. You hoisted up your skirt, wading through the shallow stream. 

You reached the berries, perfectly ripe. You hummed lightly, plucking the berries from the bush and tossing them into your basket. The golden rays cast by the setting sun made the forest simply spectacular, grand trees standing proud and shrouded in gold. 

You stood up abruptly, having finished your task, excited to get back to the house and share the berries with Killua. However, as you stood up, you noticed some gray fur sticking out from some bushes, maybe 30 feet away. And that patch of fur had certainly noticed you. A snarling wolf slowly stepped out of the brush, mouth dripping with foam, before charging straight at you. 

You froze, heart pounding. Your body unconsciously took a step back, but stepped onto a muddy rock and slipped, falling partially into the creek. Before you could blink, a white blur entered your peripheral vision as a flash of electricity burst through the air. 

You blinked several times, trying to clear your vision after being blinded by the flash. Electricity continued to crackle, before slowly fizzling out. As your vision cleared, you could make out Killua standing above you, extending his hand towards you. You grabbed it and he hoisted you up into his arms. You were still trembling, wide eyes staring blankly in shock. 

“What—what happened?” you stammered into his chest. 

“It’s okay now. Don’t worry. You’re safe.” He stroked your hair, holding you to his chest. 

“It—the wolf—was rabid. The mouth was foaming. Did you touch it?” 

“No, no, it’s okay. I’m perfectly fine. Are you hurt?” 

“No, no, just...really shaken up,” you said, voice quavering. You glanced down at your soaking dress and frowned. “And wet and muddy. I fell. You already know that. I’m really shaken up, as you can tell. I should go bathe and change.” 

You awkwardly extricated yourself from his grasp and started walking downstream. 

“Uhhh...y/n, where are you going? Your house is that way,” he pointed. 

“Bathhouse. Closer and also more relaxing. I’m still quite shaken up. Are you coming?” You glanced over your left shoulder, but he was nowhere to be seen. You whipped your head around to the right, and he was walking right next to you. 

You jumped back in surprise. “Jesus! You scared me!”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize you didn’t notice me. I didn’t mean to scare you.” 

You quickly approached the creek house, your body still on autopilot, mind still blank. You grabbed the spare key hidden under a rock, unlocking the door and sliding it open. Stepping inside, you surveyed the small sitting room while slipping off your shoes. It wasn’t as if you completely abandoned the house, you cleaned it about every six months, but it gave off an aura of disuse and abandonment. Dust coated the table and the chair, and the lights didn’t work—this wasn’t due to abandonment, but because something had happened to the wiring and you didn’t know how to fix it. Regardless, you slid open the door to the bathroom, stepping over to the large stone bath and turning the faucet. It would take a while to heat up, so as you waited, you collected the cold water with a wooden basin and splashed around the bathroom, cleaning off the dust and grime. 

“Seems like you haven’t been here in a long time. Why not? If I had a huge bath like this I’d never get out,” Killua said, inspecting the room. 

“My family and I used to bathe here every night, but it felt like a waste of water to fill up this huge tub for just one person. Plus, it just felt...empty, I guess, without them. But...I’m not alone anymore,” you smiled softly, sitting on the wide edge of the tub and looking up at him. 

Testing the water, it was sufficiently warm by some miracle, so you plugged the bottom and sat back on the edge. 

“And now we wait. You are comfortable with this, right? We don’t need to go at the same time if you don’t want to, there’s a waiting room we passed if you want to take turns.”

“No, no, it’s fine! After all, what if a wolf suddenly came in and I wasn’t there to save you, hmm? Besides, you owe me now that I’ve saved your life.”

“What?! I saved your life first! So, now that you’ve saved me, we’re even.”

“But you never asked for anything in return, so it doesn’t count. You owe me, don’t try to get out of it,” he joked, leaning in over you as you stared back at him defiantly. 

You continued to chat as the bath filled up—it’s a big tub. The room dimmed as the sun sank past the horizon and the daylight faded. Shortly, it was almost completely dark, the last bleeding rays of sunlight having dwindled and vanished. You took this as your cue to undress and start rinsing yourself off with the wooden basin, sitting on a small wooden stool.   
You glanced over at Killua, who was rinsing himself as well. Mustering up the courage, you asked him the question that had been plaguing you. 

“Killua...May I...washyourhair?” You blurted out, face steaming. 

He looked over at you and laughed, “By all means, go ahead, dummy.”

You scooted over your stool and knelt on it behind him, pouring some shampoo into your hand. You ran your hands through his hair, lathering the soap into bubbles. His hair was surprisingly long when hanging flat from water. You gently ran your fingers through the fine silver strands, lightly scratching his scalp with your fingernails. You continued to massage his head for some time, before dunking the wooden basin into the bath and pouring it over him, rinsing out the shampoo and repeating the process with the conditioner. 

After washing his hair (and yours), the bath was finally full, so you sank into the warm water with a sigh of bliss. It felt like the steam had made its way into your brain, and for that you were thankful. Too much had happened today, out of your typical routine. 

The darkness of the bathroom was slightly disconcerting, as the steam on the wide windows dimmed the already-low moonlight from illuminating anything. After a while of unwinding in the bath, the heat started to make you woozy, so you got out and fumbled around for the towel you brought in. You heard gentle splashing as Killua followed suit. 

The two of you put on bathrobes from the linen closet and slipped on your shoes, grabbing your soiled clothes and heading back to your house, taking the direct dirt path back, rather than the creek route. When you got there, you changed into clean pajamas and rushed into bed. Killua clambered in after you, but as he crawled over you to get to the wall side, you caught his arm and pulled him into a horizontal hug, burying your face in his chest. 

“Thank you,” you mumbled, voice muffled by his chest. He hummed in response, pulling you in closer and stroking your hair. As you drifted off, you felt him shift slightly and lightly kiss the top of your head, whispering “thank you, y/n.”


	5. Chapter 5

You slipped out of sleep, your consciousness returning slowly as you woke up. The room was still dark, the only illumination coming from your digital clock, which read 5:35. _Too early to get up...but if you went back to sleep now, you’d be more tired when you had to wake up._ You tilted your head back, contemplating your options, but found yourself quickly distracted when your head hit something that definitely did not feel like your pillows. Yesterday’s events hit you in a flash, your face instantly burning up as you recalled him kissing the top of your head as you drifted to sleep in his arms. 

You shook your head, trying to clear your blush like an etch-a-sketch. Your actions were unsuccessful, but in their vigor, you made Killua stir in his sleep. An idea crossed your mind, of what to do with your early morning. Eagerly, you flipped over in his arms, to face his chest. _His wound looks completely healed now, how did that happen?!_ You pulled your arm out of his loose grasp and moved to poke his face, but in the instant you were about to touch his face his eyes shot open, dark with bloodlust, and he pinned you down, holding his hand to your throat. 

“Oh, it’s just you. Sorry, it’s just instincts.” He loosened his hold on you and collapsed on top of you, falling right back asleep, face buried in your chest. You were still petrified, held in place by your fight-or-flight response. _He could have killed you! And now he’s asleep again?!_

The adrenaline loosened its hold on your body and you relaxed, but found yourself getting short of breath as the very heavy man continued to snooze away on your chest. You warily tried to squirm out of his grasp, but it was like trying to get out from under a pile of cinder bricks, if those cinder bricks had arms and were squeezing you with supernatural strength. At this point, you were seriously struggling to breathe, so you wheezed heavily and clenched your abs, straining up to his head and biting his hair. 

Yes, biting his hair. And it was successful! He released you from his constricting grasp to grab his head, rubbing the roots of his hair.

“What the hell? Did you just _bite_ my hair?” Killua gawked at you. 

“I—cannot—breathe,” you wheezed slowly, inhales and exhales shallow to the point of nonexistence. 

Killua rolled over and off of you. You dramatically gulped in air, shooting him an exasperated glance.

“Thank you for crushing me. But, now that you’re awake, let’s get up! I have a surprise,” you teased, trying to entice him to stay awake. 

“...What is this surprise?” 

“If I told you, it wouldn’t exactly be a surprise, now would it?” Killua just shot you a bored look and closed his eyes again, fake snoring. “Oh, come on, please, you won’t regret it,” you pleaded. 

He acquiesced and the two of you rolled out of bed, switching on the lights and getting dressed. The night still hung heavy outside, the darkness pervading your senses as you stepped out of your house. You shivered, pulling the collar of your coat up as the crisp night air hit your face. Killua stood to your right, staring impassively at you. 

“Alrighty, it’s just a quick five minute walk, and then we’ll be there, alright?” You grabbed his arm, both for the warmth and the sense of security it provided, setting off down the pebbly dirt road onto a trail into the woods. 

Soon enough, you arrived at your destination, a majestic redwood tree that towered over the rest of the forest. It was still dark out, but the sky was becoming slightly redder as nautical twilight began. You grabbed the soft bark and started scaling up the side of the tree to the lowest branch. Hoisting yourself onto the branch, you laughed down at Killua. 

“Come on! I’m sure you know how to climb trees,” you joked as you stood on the branch and continued to ascend the tree. The branches were thick and lichen draped near the bottom, but higher up they were sparser and you could see through the leaves. Of course, this made climbing slightly trickier, and much scarier, but it was always worth it. 

You reached the familiar branch, roughly ¾ of the way up the tree, unusually sturdy for its position. You climbed above it, waiting for Killua to sit on it first—he was heavier, so it would be better to let him sit close to the tree trunk. Once he was positioned, you lowered yourself onto the branch, holding onto Killua for support. 

At this point, the surprise was clear. The eastern horizon glowed brilliantly, awash in striking hues of red and pink. From your vantage point, above the peak of the mountains, you saw the early sunlight begin illuminating the vast sea of trees standing before you, rich green shrouded in gold. 

Killua broke the serene atmosphere with a blunt statement. “I have to leave today.”

Your face remained expressionless, as you knew this would have to happen at some point. Killua lifted his hand from holding the tree trunk to tilt your face towards him. Your eyes betrayed your stoic expression, soft hurt bleeding through, glassy and pleading. 

“It’s...it’s okay,” you started out slowly, carefully enunciating the painful words. “You had to leave at some point, right? You only really stayed because you needed to heal, and you could’ve left as soon as you woke up from the coma. You’re a Hunter! You need to go capture your family! You need to—” 

Soft lips met yours, cutting off your desperate rambling. You lurched in shock, nearly falling off the branch, but Killua’s strong arms pulled you in, embracing you as he deepened the kiss. Moment of hesitation over, you pushed yourself further onto him, bringing your hands up to run your fingers through his hair. He ran his hands up and down your back, cradling you close to his body. 

After what felt like an eternity, you pulled away to breathe, leaning back and gazing forlornly up at the man before you. His white hair glowed golden in the sunlight, crowning his head. 

“I will come back, trust me,” Killua promised, gently caressing your cheek and brushing away a tear you hadn’t noticed had escaped. 

“Can we stay like this forever?”

— — — — —

The crisp October air nipped at your face, making your hands slightly numb as you reached up to grab an evasive apple. Climbing the trees to pick the apples reminded you of your final day with the mysterious man, whose sudden appearance and departure now felt like a figment of your imagination, a hallucination your brain conjured up to ease the pervasive loneliness. 

At first, after he left, you eagerly awaited his return, spending your free time gazing down the road he left on, expecting to see him walking up it, perhaps a suitcase in hand, and in fresh clothes. Now, a year and a half later, you weren’t looking. Were you disappointed? Certainly. But you didn’t resent him for moving on, after all, he was a Hunter and he had goals, perhaps he got so wrapped up in capturing his family that he forgot about you, or on the way he found someone better, or who knows what. But you didn’t blame him. You were just a stopover, a restful sojourn for a man who’s been on more adventures in 21 years than most people do in their entire lives. At least, that’s what you kept telling yourself. 

The overcast sky reflected your mood, dull and gray. After the refreshing spark of life Killua’s company brought you, the routine you fell back on became monotonous. You grabbed the apple, pulling it off of the branch and putting it in your basket with a sigh. Basket now full, you dropped from the knobby limb to the ground, leaning against the trunk and surveying the small orchard.  
Since you had finished picking the granny smith apples, you made your way back to your house. After all, you had picked the apples to make a pie, to spice up your dreary life. Slipping into your home, you set down the basket of apples on the counter, pushing up your sleeves and putting on an apron in preparation to create one masterpiece of a pie. 

Once the pie was in the oven, you tidied up the kitchen before grabbing the food for the chickens and goats and leaving once again. A flash of white appeared in your peripheral as you stepped outside—you whipped your head towards it, but it was gone before you could see it. You sighed, thinking it was probably a trick of the light combined with an overactive imagination. 

After feeding the chickens and goats their dinner, you found yourself wandering down to the creek on your way back home. Your feet delivered you to the now unforgettable spot where you first found Killua. You crouched down, dipping your fingers into the cool, rushing water. _He promised he’d return, didn’t he?_

You stood back up, gazing at the darkening overcast sky. It would get dark soon, so you walked back to your place, which now vented out the mouth-watering aroma of fresh pie. You gladly welcomed the warmth of your house, slipping off your shoes and quickly removing the pie from the oven to cool. 

Shrugging off your coat, you made your way to your room to hang it up, and ideally change into your pajamas. You opened the door, only to cry out in surprise at a certain someone collapsed on your bed. 

“ _Killua?!_ ” you shouted, rushing forward to your bed. “Is that really you?”

He rolled over, and you realized that he had been sleeping. You cringed at yourself for waking him up, but your heart felt like it was flying out of your chest. 

“Y/n!” He had a sleepy grin on his face, hair sticking up in every direction. 

You immediately flew into his arms, clinging to him like your life depended on it. In your enthusiasm, you ended up pushing him over on the bed, laying on top of him and burying your face into the crook of his neck. After the initial surprise, Killua’s arms wrapped around you, holding you tight to his chest. 

“I missed you so much,” you murmured by his ear. 

He grasped you tighter, sitting back upright and pulling you onto his lap. “You know I can’t stay away from you.” 

You brought your hand up to his cheek, pulling your head back to gaze into his eyes, sapphire irises glimmering back at you. 

“Your bedhead is really cute,” you laughed lightly, running your fingers through his wild waves. 

Staring deeply into each other’s eyes, you felt delightfully whole. The emptiness you had been feeling since he had left had been filled with a rich warmth. A tear you didn’t realize had been forming fell from your eye, rolling down your smiling cheeks. Killua brushed away the tear, tenderly rubbing your cheek with his thumb. Burying your face back into his chest, you tightened your embrace on him as your eyes welled up and spilled over. 

“You’re so warm,” you sniffled, nestled comfortably in his arms. 

“Can you forgive me for leaving you?” he asked softly, gently pulling you to look into his eyes. 

“Of course,” you melted. He leaned in, gently meeting your lips with his. You ran your hands over his chest, feeling the strength of his muscular build. You pulled away to breathe and speak. 

“I’ll forgive you...but on one condition: please don’t leave me again. It gets so lonely here without you. I can’t stand the thought of losing you.” 

“I’m not going to leave you. You’re never going to have to suffer by yourself again, I promise. I’m here for you, forever and always. I’m not going anywhere,” Killua assured you. “I succeeded in capturing my family, that’s what took me so long. But, now that they’re gone, I can finally live a normal life, and I can make sure you’re safe. My brother could be...overprotective, at times.” 

“It’s okay. Now that you’re here, it feels like you never left.” You smiled up at him. “But where are my manners? You must be hungry, and I have a freshly baked apple pie just waiting to be eaten.” You let go of him and leaned back, anticipating that he would let you out of his grasp. 

“Wait, don’t pull away...not yet,” he muttered, blushing and glancing away from you. 

“How could I say no to that face?” You leaned in, giving him a peck on the nose. 

He hummed in response. “Idiot.” 

“Hey!” You poked him, pouting exaggeratedly. 

He smiled wistfully, eyes softening as he watched you. “I’m never letting you go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it’s complete! Thank you to everyone who read this far, I know it definitely requires a lot of patience and suspension of disbelief, but I’m glad I was able to complete it, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. A special thank you to @saudadebee for commenting, I cannot express how much happiness you brought me :). In retrospect, this would probably have been better as a long one-shot, because stretching it out just brought up so many holes and issues and I have no idea how to end stories ;-; Anyways, while this work was certainly flawed, it was an incredible learning experience and a great practice opportunity. With hope, it will all be upward from here! Thanks for reading!


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